Device for testing cheese-curd



(m mm.

. E. V. LAPHAM.

DEVICE FOR TESTING CHEESE CITED N0. 296,189. Patented Apr. 1, 1884.

- WITNESSES Q I INVENTOR N. PEICRS. Whn nvhm Walhinglm. u. c.

UNITED STATES Erica.

PATENT EDWARI) V. LAPHAM, OF UNION GROVE, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,189, dated April 1, 1884.

Application filed December 6, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD V. LAPHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Grove, in the county of W'hiteside and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Testing Cheese-Curd; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l of the drawings is a Vertical sectional view of my device, and Fig. 2 is a top or plan View of the same.

This invention has relation to devices for testing curd in making cheese; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement of the iron lamp-chimney, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a designates the burner of an ordinary kerosenelamp, and b an iron chimney of cylindrical form placed thereon. The chimney is usually made with a swell, c, at the base, the pattern adopted being that which is used commonly with the German studentdamp, as the cylindrical form steaclies the flame. For a similar reason the ring-burner is preferred 5 but anyordinary burner will answer; or the chimney may be adapted to a gas-jet.

In testing curd to discover the condition thereof, which indicates the proper time to draw off the whey, an iron rod has been usually employed, the samehaving been heated in a fire to a temperature of about 150 or 250. It is difiicult to heat the iron rod to the precise temperature required, as the iron must be inserted into the fire to be heated, and when withdrawn and a piece of the curd is laid on the heated rod there is no certainty that the rod is at the proper temperature to produce the stringy appearance which the curd must exhibit when withdrawn from the rod. Not

thereto herein.

only that, frequent tests mustbe made to ascertain the proper time for withdrawing the whey from the curd, and the rod cannot be maintained at the required temperature. The

tubular iron 'chimney, however, is made sufliciently heavy to retain the heat, and the burner can be manipulated to raise the heatbetween 150 and 250 Fahrenheit, and thistemquite a number of strings-between the tester and the body of the piece of curd employed to make the test, thecurd has then been cooked enough and the whey may be withdrawn. This iron chimneyis made of heavy tubing, as shown in-section in Fig. l, and by thus constructing it I am enabled to retain the heat at the requisite point of temperature, whereas the rod heretofore used must be heated and reheated, which is not advantageous.

A portable stove has been provided with a series of metallic chimneys having holes in .t-heir sides closed by isinglass shutters prior to my invention, and I make no broad claim A chimney made partly of glass and partly of metal is old; and a chimney made entirely of metal has been used in a kerosenestove, neither is it intended to claim these constructions herein.

Having described this invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

As an improved article of manufacture for testing curd in cheese-making, the herein-descrihed'cylindrical iron chimney, adapted to be fitted upon a lamp-burner or gas-jet, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDW ARD V. LAPHAM.

Witnesses:

FRANK D. RAMSAY, LA FAYETTE T. Srocrrmo. 

